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| Topic: I always crying when I hear a magician say |
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I thought it would be fun to hear how you would finish that sentence. We all have hear magicians say things like "I have a normal deck of cards" as he takes it from his pocket. So what would a magician say that would make you crying? For me it is 1) Let me show you a trick (I don't want to see a "Trick" I want to see magic!) 2) normal deck of cards (If you brought it, it is more than likely not normal and I may question if it really is a deck of cards!) 3) when I was a young boy (This one because it will be a long story and a short trick) So, anyone else want to chime in on this one? |
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| I am going to put these silks in the change bag |
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"Can I use that Routine of yours? What do you mean I have to pay?" :cry: |
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[quote] On 2010-05-13 10:21, brangwinj wrote: I am going to put these silks in the change bag [/quote] Haha that's great :). I'd just laugh screaming if I were to hear that live :) |
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| "Do you like magic?" |
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| Did anyone at this table lose a red pocketknife? How about a white one? |
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"I will actually take this dollar bill and actually place it in my hand where I will actually vanish it and then actually make it reappear." Enough with the Actually. |
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| Lol yeah I hate it when magicians tell EXACTLY what they are going to do for the whole trick. that's annoying. |
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It's called "Expository Magic" - 95% dull. Cheers. |
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"What I want you to do is this." "Do me a favour and ...." |
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[quote] On 2010-05-13 10:21, brangwinj wrote: I am going to put these silks in the change bag [/quote] The use of the term "silk" all by itself would still fall into this category. To every human except magicians "silk" is an adjective and not a noun. :) Only magicians call it a silk. The audience would call it a handkerchief or a scarf. More importantly, they'd think the performer wasn't too bright calling it a "silk." Think of it this way: I don't wear a "cotton." I wear a shirt. :) |
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"Did you see Criss Angel do that thing where he...? He's so good!" I cry inside every time I hear that from A Magician, a layperson I can understand, but from a Magician... |
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| "This trick goes all the way back to Ancient Egypt..." |
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[quote] On 2010-09-27 12:57, panlives wrote: "This trick goes all the way back to Ancient Egypt..." [/quote] What if you're living in Egypt? |
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| Don't know if anyone has put this yet, but when the ads always say. This effect is only limited by your imagination!!! |
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I'm gonna vanish a rabbit What's this behind your ear Now look in your back pocket Whoa do you see me floating |
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I hate it when after having a card signed then placed in the middle of the deck for an ambitious card routine, the magician goes into over-proving that the card is not at the top or bottom before the trick has started. You're just setting up at the beginning of the trick that you're going to be really sneaky and their job is to catch you. The "it's not on top, and it's not on the bottom. It's somewhere in the middle." If a spectator is paying any attention that explanation is redundant before the trick has even started. Until the trick has started they have no reason to doubt you. The way I present it is instead I say,"Because you signed the card, it's the only one like it in the world. And because it's the only one like it, if I place it in the middle, there's no way it could still be on top. But if I snap my fingers, it jumps to the top." One version insults the intelligence of the spectator while raising suspicion before the trick starts. The other sets up the conditions of the trick while giving a last minute peek at the top card. |
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Anything that insults the intelligence or arouses unnecessary suspicion. Solid metal rings Have we ever met before? Empty (anything, e.g. cup, box, bag) Normal (anything) Watch the (anything) There is no way I could have known... Also, tedious stories along the 'in ancient china', 'my grandfather gave me', 'once upon a time' kind of line. Lycra, dancing, mullets and dry ice are also ways to get me rushing for the bar. |
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| "And now for my next trick..." |
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And that trick was called.... It just ruins it if you tell them what it's called. Then they KNOW it's not magic, just some old trick. |
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| All of these are great examples but don't try explaining this to Bill Malone. |
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I had a dream last night...and YOU were in it! Totally unbelievable. And if they do believe you, they'll probably just think you're a weirdo. |
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I LOVE Michael Ammar, and have really enjoyed spending a bit of time with him, but... "All I have to do is...." I feel like that's his go to line for just about everything he does. All I have to do is snap my fingers. All I have to do is cast a shadow over the deck. All I have to do is blow. Wears me down a little bit when I've heard it for the thousandth time. |
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| For me it's the "wouldn't it be incredible if ..." or "wouldn't it be magic if I could ..." line. Leading the witness. The audience knows immediately that you can do it because you're asking it. Always sounds like bragging to my ears and I cheer inwardly when the audience member shrugs in response. |
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This is for the people in the cheap seats. Give me your hand, no the clean one. |
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| Now |
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| Solid through solid. |
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| Check it out,Check it out. |
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| One I despise is; " I have here an empty box (bag, etc.) as you can clearly see". |
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| Stand here over the trap door. |
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| I try not to say anything though it hurts when a Magician says "I LOVE Criss Angel..." :P |
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It would look something like this... Now all I have to do is snap... Would you be amazed if... Magicians counting things (cards, ropes, etc.) when everyone can clearly see how many things there are. (Remember the words of Tommy Wonder: Only magicians and idiots count when the number is less than six). Oh, and magicians referring to their trick as "experiments." |
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| "absolutely nothing up my sleeves and at no time do my fingers leave my hands." |
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| Any sentence that uses the word "silk" instead of "hankerchief" |
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Interesting post, but my question is this....Wayne Dobson delivered some of these corny lines (stand here over the trap door, not that hand the clean one) and the audience all laughed.....so if the line works, would you use it? Though of course your personality might mean it doesn't work for you. D |
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| I have recently seen a lot of clips of Wayne's old act and I honestly feel uncomfortable for some of the unwitting spectators dragged up on stage and subjected to that humor. I do not at all consider myself overly sensitive or PC. It doesn't strike me as either funny or something you should do to someone who purchased a ticket to your show. |
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[quote] On 2010-12-27 18:00, denisb wrote: I have recently seen a lot of clips of Wayne's old act and I honestly feel uncomfortable for some of the unwitting spectators dragged up on stage and subjected to that humor. I do not at all consider myself overly sensitive or PC. It doesn't strike me as either funny or something you should do to someone who purchased a ticket to your show. [/quote] Hi Denis, Would this be from Wayne Dobson's DVD's a Life in Magic? ( A good buy by the way). In many ways I agree, and personally don't like comics who pick on audience members....I feel it is a bit like kicking a puppy since the comic can be rude but all the audience member can do is laugh....even if they want to smack the guy. But in addition to "that humour" there are also some general lines of the "stand there, no there over the trapdoor" variety which are not offensive and go down well. Taking it outside of Wayne there are also other magicians who successfully use some of the lines others find corny (heck maybe they ARE corny), so in the broader sense I guess my question is would forum members use a corny line if it raises a laugh? |
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"What I want for you to do is..." "I have here an ordinary..." "I'm a mentalist, I know everything, etc etc etc... I need an assistant; you sir, what's your name?" |
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| "what I'm going to do is....." |
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When mentalists "hope that the experiment works" is a HUGE pet peeve...Especially when they never get it wrong. #1: I don't expect a performer to experiment during my show.. I'd hope he knew what he was doing. #2: I've seen mentalist get "small misses"...but for some reason, they always get the "big trick" correct. One of these days.. I'd love to see a perfomer miss horribly... and then at an off moment.. do something even MORE spectacular. Posted: Feb 13, 2011 12:27pm On another note.. I hate "curosity shop" magic. When a 12 year old takes out a MAK magic prop and tells a story about how he found this in the ancient ruins of outer Mongolia... it's enough to make you want to SCREAM. |
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[quote] On 2010-09-22 10:29, Quentin wrote: "What I want you to do is this." "Do me a favour and ...." [/quote] That ACTUALLY (haha!) isn't so bad. [quote] On 2010-09-27 12:57, panlives wrote: "This trick goes all the way back to Ancient Egypt..." [/quote] But there is truth to that on the magic as part of religious expression level as well as the magic as entertainment level(Dedi). [quote] On 2010-11-09 00:45, motown wrote: This is for the people in the cheap seats. Give me your hand, no the clean one. [/quote] Old Vaudeville stuff. Posted: Feb 14, 2011 12:00pm Most of the trite expressions are in a routine where there really is no patter needed; the effect speaks for itself oftentimes. |
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MIne is when a performer says they want promised to make it snow for their mom because they grew up in Fla. and it never snowed. I also realize some of our pet peaves are fine to use for audiences. I do tricks in my show that I do not care for at all but they routine nicely in the show, they serve a purpose and the audience always seems to respond positively to them. ~C~ |
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| Hold out your hand, no the clean one. |
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| While using a pen in a trick, they say "Let me recap" and out the cap on the pen. UGH!!!!! |
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| Sorry that was "put" the cap on the pen. I also cry when a magician types something criticizing others but misspells it. |
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| Sorry that was "put" the cap on the pen. I also cry when a magician types something criticizing others but misspells it. |
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| "I have here an ordinary set of Chinese Linking Rings." |
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[quote] On 2011-02-13 12:24, makeupguy wrote: When a 12 year old takes out a MAK magic prop and tells a story about how he found this in the ancient ruins of outer Mongolia... it's enough to make you want to SCREAM. [/quote] That can be actually cute. Or could be, if the words from the young magician were deliberate aimed at humour; but alas, that would be too much to ask for! |
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"ordinary or normal," if it looks ordinary, let the prop speak for itself. "my next trick," etc. And my biggest pet peeve and catch myself saying "now watch." Great thread. |
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When describing or marketing their tricks, magicians who use the word 'Ultimate'. That's simply their ego talking. Any magician who calls someone who helps them a 'spectator'. "It will vanish into thin air?" As opposed to 'thick' air? "It will vanish before your very eyes" Exactly what are 'very eyes'? ".. and your phone number." Using the word 'we' when it is only the magician doing something as in, "So, we shuffle the cards..." |
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| Yes I can make your wife disappear |
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| Reading these posts make me feel quite guilty. I know I say some of these things and I will definatly try to stop. |
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"LET ME SHOW YOU A CARD TRICK." There are a millions of outstanding card tricks I'll admit. I'm just not really into them. That's me! |
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"Nothing in this hand... ... and nothing in this hand" DUD!... I can see that! |
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[quote] On 2011-06-20 07:06, wizardpa wrote: "LET ME SHOW YOU A CARD TRICK." There are a millions of outstanding card tricks I'll admit. I'm just not really into them. That's me! [/quote] You got that right. I hate those two words (card trick). |
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| I see everybody posting here that the don't like it when a magician says "now watch", but how else would you propose to direct their attention to a key moment. After all you don't want them to miss the magic or all you've do thus far in the effect will be in vain. |
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| How about instead of saying what you don’t like to hear magicians say, we post what you think are some effective and novel things you’ve heard and liked. |
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[quote] On 2011-10-18 12:42, terrillific wrote: How about instead of saying what you don’t like to hear magicians say, we post what you think are some effective and novel things you’ve heard and liked. [/quote] :ohyes: |
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1. "Pick a card, any card", as usually it as about turning a card over later and that's it. It is just not magic to me. Even if the audience does not know if you used lenses to to see the those card markings, did a classic force or all cards were the seven of spades, it is just not amazing. Everybody have heard about marked cards, and any trick that could be done with marked cards is not magic to me. 2. Magicians who tell what they do as they are doing it and what the audience should do, such as: "Here I have an empty box. And here I have a balloon. I am putting the balloon in the box and closing the lid. Now watch: I open the box, and the balloon has become a rabbit. Thank you. THANK YOUUUU!!" In moderation, I think emphasizing what we're doing is okay, though 3. "Fair?" Why emphasize that we are cheating? |
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[quote] On 2011-10-17 21:39, Unknown7777 wrote: I see everybody posting here that the don't like it when a magician says "now watch", but how else would you propose to direct their attention to a key moment. After all you don't want them to miss the magic or all you've do thus far in the effect will be in vain. [/quote] This may not really be an answer to your question, but here we go. I don't think we should literally ban all these expressions, but make sure they are not overused. In my billiard ball routine I ask the audience to watch carefully in a slightly different way. I use it once, as a slight challenge to the audience. For me this works well, as it gives a part of the routine a totally different rhythm than the rest of it. I find that it gives extreme focus. After 4 vanishes and equally many productions, I say "Watch this ball" and go silent focusing on the ball. I bounce it to the floor, put it between two other balls. A small pause. I look at the audience, turn my hand palm forward in a slight up-and-down movement, and the ball is gone. I even turn the hand back to show the hand absolutely empty except the two remaining balls. When done, I move on to the next part of the routine, no smirk, not even mentioning that it has vanished. The next part of the routine is lightly funny as I am failing in my magic. They need some seconds of relaxation after the intense focus, and I want entertainment - not challenges - to be my main style of magic. I am thinking to abandon the trick, but from time to time use the card frame ("die box with a card") and ask the children to keep track of the card. I happen to mention that from time to time, there are some children who figure out what happens to the card and shout it out. Then they don't fail to shout out that card is sliding, I need to open the other door, etc. I would never use "Now watch", while revealing the as the effect. I would rather wait a second and comment on what happened. |
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| Has any magician ever performed an act in which he threw in as many of these cliches as possible? At a magician's convention, maybe? I mean as a gag. Even funnier if the tricks were all completely unoriginal and the magician seemed complete oblivious as to how bad he was. |
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So many great things here. Makes me feel quite guilty. I agree with the "Normal/Ordinary" thing. Also, the word "actually" is used way too much with many magicians. |
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| One thing to remember is that many of these lines are corny and we have heard them all before but most audiences are not so used to it. This is why they laugh or pay attention to what we are doing and not the exact details of what we say. Any repeating of the same words in the same performance is annoying to anyone though. Like Actually or Now or Perfectly Normal :) We have all had teachers who did this sort of thing at school. And we teased them for it. It does not look good on them. |
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| Mine is "So just to recap, there is no possible way I could know what your card is" |
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- ''Take a card, place it back HERE, I will now find it''. - ''Take this coin, place it in THIS hand, I will now vanish it''. - ''Think of any number you want, totally free choice, please choose a number between 10 and 20... no not 10 or 20 BETWEEN 10 and 20''. |
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c2GH1Ot8SQ This should sum it up... |
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[quote] On 2012-07-10 08:24, WagsterMagic wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c2GH1Ot8SQ This should sum it up... [/quote] HA! I really enjoyed that, thank you for posting. I actually liked the "This isn't T.V, I can hear you" line. |
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[quote] Wayne Dobson delivered some of these corny lines (...not that hand the clean one) and the audience all laughed....[/quote] Except for the guy with the supposedly-dirty hand. I think you should make your volunteer audience assistants glad they're on stage! Insulting them for laughs won't do that. |
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I always crying when I hear a magician say... "always crying when I hear a magician say"! It's "I always CRY when I hear a magician say..."! :ohyes: |
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[quote] On 2012-07-10 08:24, WagsterMagic wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c2GH1Ot8SQ This should sum it up... [/quote] You know, now I find myself wondering if any magicians set up their act in character as a 'hack' Magician... well, intentinoally I mean. |
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I use the line : you picked up any card from a shuffled deck, put it back, and shuffled, so it's going to be very hard for me to find it. But it's followed by : "so I won't", and the spectator finds it's own card... A lot of people despise the use of the word "trick" as opposed to magic. I really thinks it depends on what you want to convey. If you're a funny guy who tells stories and jokes with a deck of card in his hands, I think trick is a perfect word. You're admitting you're not a magician, you're an expert fooler. It brings your ego down, and you appear as a simpler person. I think magicians have a tendancy for huge egos : look at what I can do... But I like humbler underdog approach : It's not magic, it's tricks, and I'm just an entertainer. I'm not saying you can't do magic and be humble. Someone mentioned Bill Malone, he does trick, he is an entertainer. Pen & Teller as well... Lance Burton does magic, not tricks. Also, I feel that sentences like : check it out, watch now, and so on are a good way to signal : "I'm going to stop talking for a bit, don't worry". It's great when you need a moment of prolonged silence, like a card in the mouth effect, a levitation. But then, you should actually shut up, and not spam "Watch now, watch now, it's happening, it's happening..." To add to the subject, I cry when I hear : * blblblblblblblblblblblbl (french magicians will know) * Your card is in my wallet (haven't yet found any good justification of this kind of effect) |
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| How about just take the wallet out and then take the card out of it. Don't say anything, I do it this way. |
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Tired lines from magicians, mentalists, hypnotists, illusionists: "Houdini used to..." (You two were personal friends, I suppose...?) "Check this out!" (I guess we're all fifteen?) "(Anything to do with a) wallet..." (Wouldn't it be equally ridiculous if the female magician said, "Now let me dig through my purse.."?) From magician's friends, blurb-ists and/or advertising copywriters: "From the (Insert adjective here) mind of...." (Like where else WOULD it come from... wait a minute, I think I know this answer...) "Awesome!" (See "Check this out" above) "It kills!" (Hmm... spectator or magician?) From dubious participants/friends/actresses in Youtube videos, TV specials & PR stunts: "Oh my God!" (No, I think God would have more impressive material...) "Dude!" (See "Check this out" above) "(bleep)!" (Now, you've really have read my mind!) |
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| Solid through solid |
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Just a little background: In Spain we don't see much Bicycle brand decks everywhere (cheap Fournier are more common), so a Bicycle deck of cards is not an "ordinary" deck. It's a magician's deck. So I think we tend to overuse the "here's an ordinary deck of cards". Also, we have our own card faces, so many people don't know the poker deck that well. Then someone came with this gag: "Do you know the french poker deck? Hearts, Spades, Clubs, and Diamons? Do you?! Yeah, just like the one in Windows Solitaire". I've heard that a zillion times. |
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| It's almost like when you get out a deck of cards or a rope and the kid says 'I've already seen that one. |
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Motown wrote, "Give me your hand, no the clean one." I recently looked at my Bar Mitzvah video tape from 30 years ago. My parents hired a magician (someone who has posted here in fact many times). He used "Give me your hand, no the clean one." on me. Back then, I wasn't offended. It was clearly a joke. But today, I wouldn't try that on anyone, as I think it could offend people. People are more sensitive today I think. |
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| "Are you ready? One, two, three years ago when I did this trick...." |
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People treated kids a little rougher in the past. Just look at al Flosso http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxl7cMTsn4M We are still influenced by these things, and many of us don't even realize it. Many of our traditions and inspirations are really old and it shows a lot when we compare magic to other kinds of entertainment. |
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[quote] On 2011-05-14 01:05, idomagic wrote: "ordinary or normal," if it looks ordinary, let the prop speak for itself. [/quote] That's exactly what I was thinking. Recently saw someone doing a trick - pen thru dollar " now this is a normal pen. Nothin abnormal about it...it's really just a normal pen". Spectator said " Why do you keep telling me that". Be said because I want you to know its a normal pen. She replied " no, you want me to believe its a normal pen. But go ahead". OUCH! Poor young magician. I wanted to give him a few pointers but the opportunity wasnt there. |
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[quote] On 2010-08-05 14:25, satellite23 wrote: Lol yeah I hate it when magicians tell EXACTLY what they are going to do for the whole trick. that's annoying. [/quote] |
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Holy cow! If we nixed EVERY thing in this thread from our patter, we'd be doing our act as mutes! But seriously folks (Hey, there's one, but it applies more to comedians) so good evening ladies and germs. ANYWAY, I think some of these lines mentioned here are definitely trite or hackneyed, but a lot of it depends on how many magicians your spectator (or shall we say participant?) has seen. I've ran into many folks who have told me that my performance was the first actual live performance they had ever witnessed. So for these folks, ALL the lines are fresh. I suppose in the end, you have to play it by ear and try to be sensitive to each person's body language and other verbal and non-verbal clues, etc. Taylor your patter and performance to the situation at hand. Years of performing EXPERIENCE and years of dealing with people -people handling skills- are definitely the order of the day. |
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| For some reason I hate the term "magic trick". It sounds childish to me, and makes me feel like I'm 12 again. I don't have a better term, and it's probably just me, but for some reason I don't prefer that term. |
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How did you do that??? Can you keep a secret?? So can I! |
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| I doubt most people have seen enough magic to recognize these lines as hackneyed. Corny, yes. Hackneyed, no. |
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[quote] On 2010-10-28 16:34, mayniac wrote: I had a dream last night...and YOU were in it! Totally unbelievable. And if they do believe you, they'll probably just think you're a weirdo. [/quote] I've seen a decently well known magician say this as patter on stage. He was a comedy act, but it still didn't feel right. |
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Virtually every street magician these days: "Can I just show you something" No you can't you pervert! or "Let me just try something here" TRY something? What, like you haven't already practised this for hours and hours in your bedroom? |
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Watch as I make your 100 pound note disappear...do you have a diamond ring on you by any chance? - Yazz |
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When mentalists keep saying "Be honest...". "Would it be impressive if..." "Under test conditions..." All hacky lines |
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Any "Play-by-play" patter that follows "I'll just...." "I'll just shuffle the deck and put it here on the table...now I will cut the cards and have you take one...." AAAAHHHHHH! We can see what you are doing - no need for the obvious exposition! 5 minutes on YouTube will show you how wide spread the blight of PBP patter is. It's depressing. |